Mirai Pan's Story
by Chibichan4
Summary: Prologue to my other story, Dealing With The Pain (coming soon). It's exactly what the title says. ^_^* PG-13 for angst and violence. It's drama in the beginning, it gets mushy towards the end (MT/MP). R/R, no flames! **CHAPTER 16 UP**
1. Changed Lives

A/N: This story is more of a detailed version of Trunks' and Pan's explanations. It mostly follows closely with the History of Trunks, but I may change it a little. You've probably read stories before about Mirai Pan, but if I remember correctly (haha, that's a big "if") none of the ones I've read were a prologue and none of them followed Pan through adulthood, too. This is also my first attempt at writing from a character's POV, so forgive me if it sucks. I'll have Pan narrating certain parts, and anything in parentheses is her throwing in a comment. Oh, and one other thing, compared to DWTP, this one's a way darker fic. Anywhoo, enough blabbing from me. Read on and don't forget to review!  
  
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Mirai Pan's Story  
  
Written by Chibichan  
  
Chapter 1: "Changed Lives"  
  
Pan - 9  
  
Trunks - 13  
  
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Hi, my name's Son Pan, daughter of Gohan and Videl. I'm nineteen years old, but nothing is what it's supposed to be in this screwed up world. Those baka Androids messed everything up, so I've been forced to grow up way faster than normal. I lived in complete secrecy for the first nine years of my life, thanks to them. Sometimes I just wish I could've actually lived a happy childhood. Psh. Sure, I love training every day, but what happened to old-fashioned playing with your friends? For the longest time my best friend was a gravity chamber.  
  
I used to love sneaking out to try and help Dad, but he always caught me and sent me back home. ...Except for one time. It was that one time that changed my life, as well as everyone else's lives, too.  
  
Oh, yah. He also used to be gone for days at a time then come home saying he was busy training someone named "Trunks." Yah, well, at the time, I really didn't like him, even before I met him... Dad spent more time with him than with Mom and I. Oh, well. If there's one thing those Androids have taught me, it's that you shouldn't rely on anyone. Because if you do, they'll probably get killed and then you have no one to rely on and you're stuck. I don't need anyone...  
  
Anyway, I'm getting off-track. This story's about our whacked world. Well, I suppose you already know about that. Okay, it's the story of Trunks and I trying to survive. I'll never understand why people want to know about the horrors we lived through, but you're here and so I'll tell you.  
  
It kinda all started on the day I mentioned before - the one that changed everyone's lives. Dad had left yet again to train Trunks and when he didn't come back for hours, I kinda snapped. I took off trying to find him. Little did I know what I was going to be faced with.  
  
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Pan landed in the city, looking around desperately to try and spot Gohan. She wandered around the destroyed city, one hand constantly on the hilt of the sword her father gave her. She came around the corner of a building and immediately spotted him face-down in a puddle. (And with his left arm missing, I might add...)  
  
She ran to his side and knelt down, slowly rolling him over. Tears began welling in her eyes when she realized he wasn't dead yet. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled weakly.  
  
"P...an... I'm...so...rry...take.....love.....yo..." He put his hand out where she could take what was in it and then collapsed, lifeless. Pan, in shock, numbly grabbed his hand and pulled it close to her. She opened it up and gasped when she saw the jewel butterfly on a silver chain (...My favorite animal was a butterfly...). The second she saw it, her barrier broke down and she began sobbing. She bent over, every sob shaking her small frame. She slowly rolled him back onto his stomach, knowing that he died the way he always wanted but wouldn't get the honored burial he deserved.  
  
She sat there for a long time, feeling like her world was spinning even more out of control than before. In the back of her mind, she sensed someone else coming and numbly stood up. She hooked the necklace around her neck and stumbled off behind a nearby building. She stood there numbly, keeping her ki almost invisible, and listened to the stranger screaming her dad's name.  
  
A wave of raw emotion washed over her and caused her to stumble (After all, who was he to mourn for MY Father?). She tried to remain standing, but it got harder and harder, so she gave up and collapsed to the ground. She put her forehead to the ground and wrapped her arms around her head, allowing her sobs to overtake her again.  
  
She winced in pain as something snapped inside her and a raw power surged through her veins. She was fighting to control it, almost scared of what was happening to her. She struggled for what seemed like forever before she realized that the stranger was gone. She stumbled numbly out into the open and realized he had taken Gohan with him, most likely to bury him. She narrowed her eyes in anger as the raw power ran anew through her.  
  
She stumbled forward, groaning under the intense pressure. Suddenly she just calmed down, collecting the power in one spot (The calm before the storm...). Then she let out a hoarse scream as the power flowed out of its spot and coursed through her veins. A golden aura flared around her and grew, threatening to destroy the whole city. Then it exploded and she stopped screaming, the power finally harnessed.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes and stared in shock at a spiky golden piece of hair blowing in the wind. She knelt down and grabbed a broken piece of glass, staring at the reflection of herself in shock. It took her a moment to realize that this was how she looked. She almost didn't recognize the emerald green eyes and spiky golden hair.  
  
Then she suddenly remembered the stranger and narrowed her eyes, blasting off into the sky to follow him.  
  
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It actually took me a while to realize I had reached the level of Super Saiya-jin. I'd seen Dad in that form before and asked him about it, but he mumbled a pathetic answer and ignored it. He obviously knew if I knew about it, I'd want to reach it, and once I had reached it, I'd want to fight the Androids. 'Course, he wasn't taking that risk.  
  
Anyway, after that I took off to find the stranger I'd later learn was Dad's favorite past-time, Trunks. After I knew this was him, I immediately didn't like him. I was mad at him for taking up so much of Dad's time, plus I was blaming him for Dad's death. On the other hand, we had a mutual respect based on the fact that we both reached Super Saiya-jin. Unfortunately, that respect didn't stop us from being bitter.  
  
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Pan landed on the hill where Trunks had just finished burying Gohan. She folded her arms and glared at him.  
  
"Who are you, and what are you doing with him?"  
  
"What? Why should I tell you who I am?!"  
  
"Because you need to leave him alone!"  
  
"Leave him alone?! Gohan's all I've ever had, don't you DARE tell me to leave him alone!"  
  
Both of their ki's were at their peaks, both of them still extremely emotionally stressed.  
  
"...Who are you?"  
  
The stranger scowled, "Trunks Vejeta Briefs. What's it to you?"  
  
"...Trunks?" Pan's angry expression disappeared for a moment, but then she remembered it was somewhat Trunks' fault that Gohan was dead (It wasn't really Trunks' fault at all, but at the time, there wasn't anything I believed more...).  
  
"Yes, Trunks. Who are you, brat?"  
  
"Brat?! My Father died today, you...you...--"  
  
"Your Father? Why would I care about him?"  
  
Pan looked sadly at her father's grave and took a deep breath to try to control her tears (Hey, I was only nine...). Trunks followed her gaze and stared at her in shock.  
  
"You're...Gohan's....."  
  
"Daughter..."  
  
"N-No... you're lying! Gohan doesn't have a daughter... Go away, you... liar!"  
  
"If he doesn't have a daughter, how can I go Super Saiya-jin. I'm definitely not your sister, and I need Saiya-jin blood to transform."  
  
"...Fine, so you're Gohan's daughter, big deal."  
  
Pan stared at him in shock. He shrugged nonchalantly and took off into the air towards Capsule Corporation. She growled quietly and took off into the air after him. 


	2. Emotions Run High

Chapter 2: "Emotions Run High"  
  
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Pan landed a few feet behind Trunks in front of Capsule Corporation. She growled at him, still in Super Saiya-jin form.  
  
"You coward! Too scared to face a little girl?"  
  
Trunks got a look on his face perfectly imitating Vejeta if anyone ever insulted his honor and glared at her, his voice low and threatening, "Go away, brat!"  
  
"I'm not a brat, you murderer!"  
  
Trunks spun around, glaring lethally at her, "What did you call me?!"  
  
"You heard me, murderer!"  
  
"I'm not a murderer! Those Androids killed him, not me!" He turned his back to her, trying to force himself to calm down.  
  
Pan shook her head wildly, by now completely ignoring what he was saying, "You killed him!"  
  
She flung herself at him and knocked him to the ground. He snapped and jumped up with Super Saiya-jin speed, grabbing her by the throat as he jumped. She gasped for breath as he held his other fist into the air, preparing to punch her.  
  
He was just about to bring his fist down on her when Bulma burst through the front door, "TRUNKS!!"  
  
He glared threateningly at the girl and released her. She collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe. Bulma shot a warning look at Trunks as she walked up to the little girl.  
  
"Trunks, what do you think you were doing?!"  
  
"I was gonna punch her."  
  
"Trunks..."  
  
"She insulted my honor and accused me of killing Gohan!" He yelled it at her fighting back tears and ran inside. Bulma blinked in shock and picked up the small girl.  
  
"...What's he talking about?"  
  
Pan sniffled, also fighting back tears, "The Androids... killed...Daddy..."  
  
Bulma's eyes went wide when she heard "Daddy" and scooped the girl up, walking inside. She laid Pan down on the couch and immediately went to the phone, dialing the ever-familiar number.  
  
"Hello, ChiChi? This is Bulma... Um... I think you should come over. I can't explain now, just...come. Quickly."  
  
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ChiChi stood in shock, staring at her grand-daughter. Bulma was sitting in a chair next to the couch Pan was lying on, looking annoyed.  
  
"Gohan-chan's...dead..." ChiChi put a hand to her head and half-sat, half- collapsed into a nearby chair. Bulma closed her eyes, clasping her hands together.  
  
"You mean you knew the whole time about Pan... and never told us?"  
  
"...I'm so sorry, Bulma-chan... Gohan asked me not to tell anyone, not even you. It wasn't that he didn't trust you... He just wanted her to keep a VERY low profile."  
  
"...I can't believe this... Gohan dies and I find out he has a daughter, all in the same day."  
  
Pan stared at the floor, her head spinning. She looked away quickly as Trunks walked by in his training clothes, heading for the gravity chamber. He flashed her an angry look as he walked by. Bulma gave him a worried look when she saw the tear streaks running down his face. He looked away and continued walking.  
  
The raven-haired girl slowly got up and walked to the window with the two older ladies watching her. She absent-mindedly fingered her necklace, mulling things over in her mind. Her breathing shallowed as her barriers began to slowly decay again. Suddenly she lost it and fell to the floor, her sobs overtaking her.  
  
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I cried for a while until I was exhausted, then fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, Bulma and ChiChi were asleep in their chairs. I tried to clear my head a little, but it didn't work... so I decided to go apologize to Trunks. As I expected, he was in the gravity chamber trying to build up his Super Saiya-jin form. I watched him, feeling an overhwhelming sense of guilt. I knew I hurt him when I said that he had killed Dad...  
  
He took a break to rest for a few minutes and a tear rolled down his face. I'd heard stories of Vejeta, so it made sense that Trunks would take out his anguish on his training. I decided now was as good a time as any, so I went in. Unfortunately, he was still mad at me...  
  
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Pan stepped in and leaned against the wall, staring at the floor. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Trunks rushed at her and his fist just barely missed her face. As his fist connected with the wall, he came out of Super Saiya-jin. He glared at her and turned around, muttering something under his breath.  
  
"Go away."  
  
"...Trunks, I don't blame you for being mad at me... and... I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."  
  
Trunks remained silent with his back still turned to her. He shook his head and barely mumbled an answer, "I'll think about it..."  
  
Pan nodded and left to go get some real sleep.  
  
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Oi, sorry it's kinda short. Hee hee, I love this story! ^_^ Remember, review! PLEASE. Oh, and no flames... constructive criticism is okay, but please no flames. Thankies!! 


	3. Android's Demise

A/N: In the beginning of this chapter, Trunks is 16 and Pan is 12. At the end he's 21 and Pan is 15.  
  
Chapter 3: "Android's Demise"  
  
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It had been three years. Three years of hit-and-run with the Androids... Anyway, I saw my Mom once in a while, but for the most part she was too busy with the underground city for me. No biggie, I could always hang out with Trunks. Over the next couple of months after we met, Trunks gradually forgave me and became kinda like an older brother. However, on the three- year anniversary of Gohan's death, I almost lost that. Trunks couldn't stop thinking about Gohan that whole week, and he finally snapped and ran off to fight those cursed Androids.  
  
Bulma-san and I tried to stop him, but it didn't do any good. He was determined to fight them, and the worst part was he was determined to fight them alone. He refused to allow me to go with him, and the only thing that held me back was my respect for his pride. So he went off, determined that he could beat them, and I had to go rescue him and bring him back.  
  
About four months after he came back beat up, he decided to head back to the past. I desperately wanted to go, but he refused to let me. He said that he was taking enough risk with himself, and he refused to risk me as well. I desperately wanted to see my Grandpa Goku... At the time I didn't think it was fair that he'd get to see his father and I couldn't see mine... oh, well. He came back later that night, anyway... But something had changed and I couldn't put my finger on it until I heard him talking to Bulma.  
  
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Trunks moped his way into the kitchen and flung open the fridge. He grabbed a pop can and jumped up on the counter, staring off into space. Bulma walked in and gave him a worried look.  
  
"Trunks...?" all she received was a grunt in reply, which made her even more worried, "Trunks, what happened?"  
  
"I can't believe that was him..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He was so...arrogant. He didn't care about anything..."  
  
"Trunks... I warned you not to expect much from him."  
  
"Kaa-san... he never loved either of us, did he?"  
  
"Not at that point in time, no... we didn't get together until later. But he did love both of us."  
  
Trunks snorted and shook his head, obviously having a hard time believing it. Bulma kissed his forehead and began walking away.  
  
"'Night, Trunks..."  
  
"Mm..."  
  
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Another three years went by, and Trunks decided to go back again to help them fight the Androids. Again I begged him to let me go, but this time he absolutely refused. The only thing on probably all of our minds was that he would be killed, along with everyone else. This time he was gone for three months. It killed me every day when I woke up and he wasn't there. I could tell that it hurt Bulma, too.  
  
The Androids continued to destroy more cities, but both of us were unable to do anything, so we sat painfully by and watched them be destroyed. When he finally came back, the first thing he did was to go straight for the Androids. I followed him and was shocked when he didn't say anything about it. We finally landed in a city recently destroyed by the Androids and I prepared for a long fight, unaware that there practically wouldn't be one.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
"Androids! Your reign of terror ends here." Trunks folded his arms and smirked, looking very confident.  
  
"Great, it's the brat again..." Juuhachigou tucked some of her hair behind her ear and put her hands on her hips.  
  
Juunanagou raised an eyebrow, looking at Pan, "And he's got a friend..."  
  
Pan crouched down in her fighting position and glared at the Androids, "I'm Son Pan. You remember my father..."  
  
"Hmm... didn't know he had a daughter."  
  
Juuhachigou just shrugged in response, "Doesn't matter. We'll just kill her, anyway. And can we finish him off this time?"  
  
"Sure..."  
  
"I won't be your play-thing any longer! You've killed my Father AND my best friend, and I won't ever forgive you for that."  
  
"All bark and no bite. Let's end this, Juuhachigou. You first."  
  
"'Kay."  
  
Trunks flashed into his Super Saiya-jin form and smirked wickedly at her, then jumped into the air flying at her. She smirked and threw powerful blasts at him, which he easily deflected. He landed on the ground right in front of her and stuck his hand in her face.  
  
She had a look of horror and shock as he smirked evilly at her, "Die!" He powered up a blast and shot it at her at point-blank range, causing a huge explosion. Then he spun around and glared at Juunanagou, who had an equally horrified look on his face.  
  
"You Androids have caused enough grief."  
  
Juunanagou crouched down, but before he could even move, Trunks jumped up and kicked him in the face, sending him flying back. Then he spun up into the air and stopped in mid-flight, holding his arm out at Juunanagou. He scowled and released a blast, which flew straight at Juunanagou and caused another huge explosion.  
  
Trunks landed on the ground and came out of Super Saiya-jin form, smirking at the two craters he had caused. Pan was on her knees from the explosion and staring at him in shock. He folded his arms and glanced in another direction  
  
"There's something else to take care of."  
  
"Something else...? But... you just killed the Androids!"  
  
"I know, but in the other timeline there was another Android named Cell. He has to be here, too."  
  
"Another Android...?" Pan's brain was still numb from seeing Trunks destroy the world's greatest enemies in less than five minutes. Trunks floated up into the air then took off in the direction of Dr. Gero's lab. Pan scrambled to her feet and blasted off after him. After she had caught up, she decided to ask him about Cell.  
  
"So... how powerful is he?"  
  
"If he reaches his Perfect form... very. But, thanks to what I just did back there, that's not possible. He needs to absorb both of the Androids to reach his Perfect form."  
  
"So what happened in the other timeline...?"  
  
"...He absorbed them..."  
  
"So who killed him?"  
  
"Gohan..."  
  
"Gohan?! Wow, my Dad killed Cell."  
  
Trunks gave her a strange look and shrugged, "Technically, yah... I guess."  
  
"But... what about Goku?"  
  
Trunks got a distant look in his eyes and sighed deeply, "I'll start at the beginning..."  
  
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He told me the story of the Androids and how they killed their creator and were absorbed by Cell. Then he told about how he was in the Room of Spirit and Time for two years with Vejeta, then about the fight with Cell. But he began to slow down right around where Gohan transformed.  
  
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"...Cell stepped on Juurokugou's head, which caused Gohan to snap. He reached SSJ2 and began wasting on Cell... but... he began to get cocky. He gave Cell the chance to make his move... he began blowing up like a balloon. He was about ready to explode when Goku stepped up... He said his good-byes to us and appeared in front of Cell. He said good-bye to Gohan and then used the Instant Transmission to take Cell to King Kai's planet, where Cell exploded and killed Goku... We all started mourning for Goku when a huge dust cloud rose. A ki beam shot out of it and..." He paused and winced in pain, subconsciously putting his hand on his stomach.  
  
"He hit you?!"  
  
"I was killed within seconds... later on I found out that Vejeta had gone berserk after I died, nearly getting himself killed. However, Gohan stepped in and started a 'Kamehameha War' with Cell... the other Z Senshi jumped in to distract Cell, but it didn't work. But then Vejeta jumped in and fired a blast at Cell, distracting him. That gave Gohan the chance to overpower Cell, and... it worked. Everyone was completely exhausted... They gathered the Dragonballs and wished me back, wished Juuhachigou and Juunanagou into humans - by Krillen's request, though I'll never understand why... anyway, they were going to wish Goku back but he decided that the Earth would be safer if he stayed dead... then a few days later I left..."  
  
Pan looked sadly at Trunks and sighed deeply (Even though he had been wished back, it still hurt...). Trunks took a deep breath and stopped. Pan stopped a few feet ahead of him and looked back.  
  
"...We're here."  
  
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A/N: Hey, this chapter was getting long so the next chapter'll be about Cell. Just in case anyone got confused, Juurokugou is #16, Juukyuugou is #19, and Nijuugou is #20. Oh, and sorry if my explanation of the Cell Games ruined it for anyone. But if you didn't already know, it was about time you found out. ^_~ Remember, people! REVIEW! That little button thingy down there. Not that hard. 


	4. Reunion

Chapter 4: "Reunion"  
  
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Trunks and Pan landed in a desolate city. Pan stared in shock at the clothes laying all over the ground, most looking as if the person wearing them had suddenly disappeared. Trunks clenched his fists, knowing Cell was here.  
  
"Cell, get out here!!"  
  
Pan scowled as they heard some deep, raspy breathing coming from a building behind them. She spun around and raised an eyebrow when Cell came into view, holding a shirt in his left hand.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Trunks ignored his question and powered up to Super Saiya-jin, "You'll never beat me, Cell."  
  
"Hahahaha, that's what you think."  
  
"No. Both of the Androids are dead."  
  
"You're lying! I have no reason to believe you."  
  
Trunks shrugged, "I never said you had to believe me. I was just telling me that they're dead and you will be soon."  
  
He held an arm out to Pan telling her to get back as Cell growled and launched himself at Trunks, who punched him in the face, spun around, punched him again, and kicked him away. As Cell was flying through the air, Trunks appeared above him. Cell tried to punch him, but he Trunks disappeared, causing him to hit the air. Then Trunks appeared under him and kicked him in the back, sending him flying in another direction.  
  
Trunks appeared in front of Cell again and deflected a blast that Cell shot at him, then as Cell got closer, he put his hands together and slammed them into Cell's stomach, sending him crashing to the ground. Cell turned and landed on his feet, staring at Trunks.  
  
"This isn't possible! I'm Cell!"  
  
Trunks landed on the ground in front of him, smirking, "Not so powerful, huh?"  
  
Cell scowled and spun around, flinging his tail at Trunks, who easily caught it. Trunks started spinning Cell around by his tail, getting faster and faster, then let go, sending Cell flying straight into the air.  
  
Cell stopped mid-flight and held out one hand and held onto his wrist with the other hand, "MA--SEN--KO--....HA!!"  
  
Trunks scowled and looked straight up at Cell and the huge blast coming straight for him, "You can't win. I'll get my revenge for everything you've done."  
  
Trunks yelled and powered up, reflecting the huge blast straight back at Cell. Cell stared in horror at the enormous ball of energy coming towards him. He screamed as the ki blast enveloped him, utterly destroying every last cell.  
  
Trunks stood for a few moments with his hands still in the air, then lowered them. As he lowered his arms, he dropped out of Super Saiya-jin form. He looked up, smiling at the bright blue sky for the first time in years.  
  
-Finally, my world is safe... thank you, 'Tou-san.-  
  
Pan ran up to him and hugged him tightly, laughing like a madman, "You did it! Oh, Trunks, that was amazing! I can't believe how strong you've become! You just... that spinning thing was so awesome! I don't ever remember being this happy! I can hardly believe this is happening..."  
  
"...Pan-chan, you're ranting..."  
  
"Oh, yah... sorry. But that was SO COOL!"  
  
Trunks smirked and half-chuckled, "Yah, I guess... c'mon, let's go tell Bulma."  
  
"Yosh'!"  
  
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Pan landed on the Capsule Corporation lawn and started running towards the lab, yelling for Bulma. The blue-haired scientist winced when she heard Pan.  
  
-Ouch... I'm not even a Saiya-jin and that hurt.-  
  
She sighed and dragged herself out of her lab. When Pan spotted her, she ran up to her and began babbling. Bulma caught a few words like "Cell" and "powerful", but there was one that caught her attention the most.  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yah, he should be coming."  
  
As she spoke, Trunks came walking down the hall with his arms folded. Bulma stared in shock at him. For being gone for only three months, he sure looked a lot older. She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.  
  
"Oh, Trunks, I worried about you every day! I'm so glad you're okay!"  
  
"Yah, I worried about you, too. How have things been going?"  
  
"Great! The Androids destroyed a couple more cities, but other than that everything was quiet...mostly."  
  
Trunks raised an eyebrow, then remembered to tell her, "Well, you won't have to worry about the Androids anymore--"  
  
Pan jumped in, still very, very hyper, "He was soo awesome!! He killed both of them in less than five minutes! Neither of them had a chance!"  
  
Bulma stared at Pan in shock, then Trunks, "You killed them?!"  
  
Trunks smirked, confirming it, "What, didn't you think I could do it?"  
  
"Of course I knew you could! It's just that they've been here for so long... I'm shocked."  
  
"I can tell... don't let your face freeze like that."  
  
Bulma smirked and folded her arms proudly, "My son killed the Androids..."  
  
Pan jumped in...again, "Not only that! He wasted another Android named Cell."  
  
"Cell?"  
  
Trunks nodded, "It's a long story. I'll tell you later..."  
  
"Mm-hmm... oh, I can't believe I forgot! Videl called, and the underground city is going to be done within the next few weeks!"  
  
Pan folded her arms and tilted her head to one side, mimicking Goku perfectly, "But... if the Androids are gone, then why do we still need it?"  
  
"Because we still need to get back on our feet, and that means gathering all the survivors up so we're not so scattered."  
  
"Hmm... makes sense."  
  
"Oh, one other thing. She wants me to help her and lead a team of scientists to re-create our medicine and food supply."  
  
"Wow, 'Kaa-san, that's awesome."  
  
"I know! She said she needed you two, too, to help round up survivors."  
  
Pan and Trunks both nodded. Bulma glanced at her watch and made a face when she realized what time it was.  
  
"Since my cooking skills haven't improved, why don't we invite ChiChi over?"  
  
"Sounds great, 'Kaa-san."  
  
"Okay. I'll go call her."  
  
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Hey, sorry if I messed up the translation of the dialogue between Trunks and Cell. I downloaded a video clip so I got the fighting right, but it was in Cantonese (if you're at all a Trunks fan, you must go to http://www.dbcollection.com/trunks/), so I had to improvise a little. Oh, and "Yosh'" basically means "Okay/Alright". 


	5. Heart Disease

A/N: Trunks is 23, and Pan is 17. Oh, and this chapter gets pretty violent during Pan's nightmares. Oh, and anything in these thingies: {}, is Pan's dream.  
  
Chapter 5: "Heart Disease"  
  
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Trunks and I were the two main people on the Recovery Team. We went out all day every day for two weeks, and then for a couple more weeks it was every other day. Things went great, and everyone was happy. Bulma had come a long ways in medicine, and we had plenty of food. But then one week, I started to feel strange. I would get a lot of pressure in my chest and be short of breath after only walking up a couple flights of stairs. Something that should NOT happen to a Super Saiya-jin. I thought it would pass, but it only got worse. Unfortunately, I hid it from Bulma and Trunks, an almost fatal mistake.  
  
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Trunks clapped Pan on the shoulder, smirking, "Wanna spar?"  
  
Pan winced as a dull pain throbbed in her chest, but she chose to ignore it, "Sure."  
  
They made their way to the gravity chamber, Pan's pain getting sharper and sharper. When they began their spar, they both turned Super Saiya-jin and her pain disappeared. They exchanged some kicks and punches until Trunks suddenly stopped, looking at her strangely.  
  
"Pan, what's wrong?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're seriously holding back. More than usual."  
  
"Oh... sorry. Let's continue."  
  
"Okay..."  
  
They exchanged more kicks and punches, until the ki blasts started. Pan jumped back and started powering up a blast, when suddenly she lost it and doubled over. She collapsed to the ground, falling out of Super Saiya-jin. Trunks dropped out of Super Saiya-jin and kneeled down next to her.  
  
"Pan?"  
  
"It........hurts..." She grabbed at her chest, shaking from the pain (It felt as if someone had literally just dug a dagger into my heart).  
  
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her breathing shallowed. Something clicked in Trunks' brain and he recognized the symptoms as the same thing Goku suffered through. He immediately picked her up and took her to her room, and tucked her into bed. Then he ran to the infirmary and frantically searched for the same kind of heart medicine he gave Goku. Not finding it, he ran to the phone and dialed Bulma's satellite-phone number.  
  
-Perfect time to go away, 'Kaa-san...-  
  
"Hello, Bulma Briefs here?"  
  
"'KaasanwheresthemedicinethatwegavetoGoku??"  
  
Bulma was silent for a few seconds, "...What?"  
  
"The medicine that we gave to Goku! Where is it?"  
  
"Um... check the West Wing of the infirmary. ...Why...?"  
  
"...Pan has it."  
  
"Oh, no... Trunks, I'm coming home right away."  
  
"No, Mom, she'll be fine."  
  
"Trunks! This is serious, and I need to figure it out. We all thought Goku got it from the planet he visited after Namek, but Pan hasn't been there so obviously it's something more."  
  
"Okay... just hurry up."  
  
"I'll leave immediately. You know what to do."  
  
"Hai, 'Kaa-san..."  
  
"Ja." Bulma hung up. Trunks slowly lowered the phone, then remembered what Bulma said and raced off to the West Wing. He found the medicine, and ran to Pan's room, where he gave her some. She mostly calmed down, but she still had spasms and it was obvious that she was having bad nightmares. Several times she suddenly flashed into Super Saiya-jin form, then would scream and fall out of it, laying deathly still for several minutes until another nightmare started.  
  
Trunks was sitting next to her, desperately trying to remain awake. Bulma would only be a few more hours, he kept telling himself. But no matter how much he said it, it didn't help. Even being a demi Saiya-jin, he needed his sleep. When he finally couldn't stay awake any longer, he fell asleep with his head resting on a table next to Pan's bed.  
  
However, something happened just as he was about to fall completely asleep that woke him up completely. Pan had settled down and was calm. It wasn't the kind of calm where she looked like she was dead. It was a peaceful calm. Trunks watched her in confusion, wishing more than anything that he wouldn't lose her.  
  
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{Pan spun around and saw the Androids standing behind her, smirking wickedly.}  
  
{"You can't hurt me! You're dead!"}  
  
{Remaining silent the whole time, they closed the distance between themselves and Pan. She crouched down defensively and turned Super Saiya- jin, preparing to fight. Then Juunanagou held up Gohan's sword and held the tip to her chest, his eyes revealing his intentions. She shook her head slowly, as if it would stop him. He laughed evilly as he plunged the sword into her and out the other side.}  
  
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Pan screamed as another wave of pain gripped her heart at the same moment the sword ran through her in her nightmare. She clenched her fists around the bedsheets, clawing at her heart in a vain effort to make the pain go away. She groaned deeply as another nightmare began.  
  
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{The Androids both came flying at her at unimaginable speeds. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable. Several minutes later, she realized she was still alive and opened her eyes. She stared in shock at the golden-haired warrior in front of her.}  
  
{-Wait a minute... Super Saiya-jin... orange and blue gi...Grandpa...?-}  
  
{Goku grabbed both of the Androids by the throats and threw them to the ground, then shot ki blasts in their faces, destroying them both. Pan stared up at him, wondering what he was doing in her nightmare. He smiled warmly at her and finally spoke.}  
  
{"Pan-chan... I've been watching you for a long time. I'm not actually part of your dream. I talked Kaio-shin into letting me help you..."}  
  
{"Grandpa Goku?!"}  
  
{Goku nodded and continued, "Pan-chan, I know what you're going through... all your worst nightmares coming true... the agonizing pain... I know it all too well."}  
  
{"...Am I gonne die...?"}  
  
{"Nah, that won't happen. Bulma has the cure now, remember?"}  
  
{"I know, but... it hurts..."}  
  
{"It'll get better, I promise. Oh, wait, there's someone else who wants to talk to you."}  
  
{Another figure in an orange and blue gi appeared next to Goku. Pan's eyes went wider than ever and tears began to well up in her eyes.}  
  
{"D...Daddy?"}  
  
{"Hey, Pan-chan..."}  
  
{Gohan knelt down next to Pan and drew her up in a large hug. Then he pulled back and reached out to her necklace. Pan smiled at him, the tears spilling down her cheeks. Gohan let go of the necklace and looked her over, smirking proudly.}  
  
{"You're so beautiful... just like your mother."}  
  
{"...Daddy... I miss you so much."}  
  
{"I've missed you, too, Pan-chan."}  
  
{Pan suddenly got an idea and looked at Goku, "Is Vejeta there by any chance...?"}  
  
{Gohan and Goku both looked away sadly, and Goku sighed deeply then answered her, "No... he was allowed to keep his body, but he's in HFIL..."}  
  
{"Oh... I was hoping I could give Trunks a message from him."}  
  
{"That's okay, Pan-chan. Trust me, Trunks is doing fine..."}  
  
{Pan looked at her father strangely and shrugged, confused, "Okay..."}  
  
{Goku scowled and put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. Gohan understood and drew Pan up in another hug.}  
  
{"We have to go, Pan-chan... any longer and we'll get in trouble." He pulled back and reached out to her as he began fading.}  
  
{Goku nodded, "Always remember, we're watching over and protecting you. Sleep well..." He also faded, smiling warmly at Pan. She nodded and smiled warmly at the darkness.}  
  
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Pan slipped into a peaceful sleep with no dreams or nightmares.  
  
Bulma arrived soon afterwards and immediately began trying to figure it out. After several days of dusk-till-dawn research, she finally discovered what it was. She came running in to Trunks, and stood breathless in the doorway.  
  
"Trunks... this is worse than we thought."  
  
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Whew, long chapter... and my first official cliffhanger (pathetic, eh?)! Well, you'll find out what happens in the next chapter. Oh, and I'm writing this tired, so I'll probably go back and edit a few things when my brain is working properly. Remember, REVIEW!! 


	6. Genetics

A/N: Wow, thanks to everyone who reviewed (my reviews jumped from 2 to 7 in one day)! To Lauren Williams and blue-angel1204, you'll find out in this chapter. ^_~ To Nyago, there won't be any hentai, but there's probably going to be mushy stuff. I'm not sure how mushy it'll get, but it'll be mushy.  
  
Chapter 6: "Genetics"  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Trunks looked up at Bulma, fear written all over his face. She walked up to him and sighed deeply.  
  
"It is the same disease that attacked Goku... However, he didn't pick it up on Yardrat. It was genetic. From the looks of it, every person who has the Son blood in them has the possibility of it being activated. There's not really any one thing that activates it, so it's completely random. The really bad part is that the degree of pain is completely random, too. It looks like Goku's was a mild version. It's too soon to tell whether Pan's version is better or worse, but if it's worse, the current medicine isn't going to help much..."  
  
Trunks stared at her, completely numb. He turned his gaze towards Pan and closed his eyes tightly. Bulma took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
"I'll be spending as much time as possible to curing her... the only problem is if I do, I won't be able to help Videl."  
  
"I'll help you... maybe then it won't take so long."  
  
"Trunks, you can't... she's bonded to you, she needs you to watch over her."  
  
"...Bonded?"  
  
"Mm-hmm... the Saiya-jin bond. If you're far away from her, she'll grow weak, and that's the LAST thing we want at this point."  
  
"...So I have to sit here until she gets better?"  
  
"No, you can do other things around the house, just not for long periods of time and not much farther than the house."  
  
Trunks fell silent, staring at Pan. Bulma ran a hand through her hair and went off to her lab, where she'd most likely be locked away for weeks.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Earlier, Gohan and Goku were sitting on Kaio-sama's planet, concentrating with beads of sweat dripping down their foreheads. Gohan weakly opened one eye half-way and glanced at his father.  
  
"Dad... is this what it felt like?"  
  
"...Almost. Imagine it twice as bad, and there you have it."  
  
"Argh... I can't believe you survived this as long as you did."  
  
"...I was determined."  
  
They both fell silent and went back to concentrating. Kaio-sama walked out of the main building on his planet and held his hands behind his back, intently watching Gohan and Goku.  
  
-How amazing... they took on the girl's pain so she could get just a few hours of sleep...- he sighed deeply, -Oh... if anything happens to that girl, the whole planet is doomed.-  
  
Gohan started breathing heavily, slowly losing control. He held his head in his hands and painfully took a deep breath and just barely managed to whisper something, "Pan... I'm sorry..."  
  
He blacked out and fell over. Gohan's connection severed, Goku tried to bear the pain himself, but it was too much and he had to cut the connection with Pan. He took a deep breath, looking like a ton of bricks had just fallen off of him. He looked up and nodded his thanks to Kaio-sama before he flopped onto his back, staring at the sky and breathing heavily. Kaio- sama sighed deeply and went back into the house to begin dinner.  
  
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It had already been one month... one month of constant pain and horrifying nightmares. Well, except for the couple hours of break Daddy and Grandpa gave me. Anyway, Trunks began to sink deeper and deeper into himself, being alone with an obsessed scientist and fatally ill girl. Not the best conditions. He constantly felt the tears welling up, but he was determined not to show any signs of weakness.  
  
One day, I took a turn for the worse. Thankfully, Bulma had discovered that my version was a little bit worse than Goku's, but with some tweaking, Goku's original heart medication could cure me. That discovery cut the time it would take for my cure in half, but I still was getting steadily worse. I had gone through this for three months, and I was weak. I had to start fighting to stay myself as well as for my life. I was getting so exhausted...  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Trunks closed his eyes in pain when Pan began coughing violently. She rolled onto her side and coughed up some blood, which began soaking into the sheets. Trunks immediately cleaned her up and called for Bulma. His mother ran some more tests on her, growling at the results.  
  
"It's...mutating..." she slammed a fist into a nearby wall and took a deep breath, "By the time I make that cure, it'll be useless. I've GOT to get ahead of this thing, or else... the problem is this is completely un- charted territory. Until it stops mutating, there's nothing I can do..."  
  
Trunks narrowed his eyes and glared at Bulma, "What do you mean, there's nothing you can do?!"  
  
"Trunks... I told you--"  
  
"I don't care what you have to do, but you have to come up with a cure for her!"  
  
"Look, I don't want her to die, either, okay?? I'm trying my best!"  
  
"Obviously, your best isn't enough!"  
  
"Trunks Vejeta Briefs, I'm not a miracle-worker! If there's nothing I can do, there's nothing I can do!"  
  
Trunks looked away for a moment in defeat, then threateningly glared at her, "If she dies..."  
  
Bulma stared at him in shock. He saw the pain in her eyes and couldn't take it, so he just left and began aimlessly wandering the hallways of the huge building. Bulma hunched over Pan who was groaning in pain. A tear ran down the older woman's face, and she subconsciously noted that Vejeta had rubbed off on her as she quickly brushed it away.  
  
"...Trunks cares about you so much... You better survive this, kid..."  
  
Pan seemed to answer by rolling onto her side, half-sobbing and half- groaning in pain. Bulma's heart broke when she saw how much suffering Pan was going through and bent over to hug the younger girl gently. At the physical contact, Pan seemed to calm down a little, but she was still sobbing with tears running down her face.  
  
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WAI, a semi-cliffhanger! I'm getting better at this! ^_~ Anywhoo, REVIEW, please! It motivates me to write, which gets more chapters out faster. 


	7. Hope and Despair

A/N: A little side note, this story will probably keep getting darker and darker. Don't worry, though, 'cause the end will be...relatively...happy. Oh, and I changed the title of Chapter 4.  
  
Chapter 7: "Hope and Despair"  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Pan was going through one of her usual fits. The only thing different was that Bulma had placed her in a regen tank. One, she was honestly getting tired of cleaning up the blood stains and the regen tank's filters could take care of that. Two, she figured it wouldn't hurt, and Pan might even regain some strength.  
  
Bulma and Trunks were both watching over her, Bulma worried that Pan was getting weaker from malnutrition and blood loss and Trunks feeling himself get weaker and weaker as their bond got strained more and more.  
  
Bulma stepped over to the panel next to the regen tank and took a few more scans of Pan and growled deeply at the results. Trunks folded his arms and blankly glanced at her.  
  
"...The mutation is speeding up... At this rate, she only has... a matter of days. A week at the absolute most..."  
  
They both froze as Pan began shaking violently. Bulma gasped and slowly turned to Trunks.  
  
"...She's going into shock. If we can't calm her body down..." She closed her eyes and shook her head, unable to finish.  
  
Trunks folded his arms and looked away, "'Kaa-san... if the mutation stops, how long will it take to create the cure to kill this thing?"  
  
"Depending on where the mutation stops, I should be able to tweak it in anywhere from a few hours to a day. Why?"  
  
"...If I donate my energy to her, would it stop the mutation?"  
  
Bulma frowned slightly and turned back to the scans, inputting the new data and seeing the prediction, "...Depending on how much energy you donate, it might give her body the strength to neutralize it long enough."  
  
"Then let's do it."  
  
"Wait..." She put more data in and scowled at the results, "To give me enough time, you would need to donate almost all of your energy. You'd be out for...weeks, maybe longer. And there's no absolute guarantee that it'll work."  
  
"I said... let's do it."  
  
Bulma sighed and nodded, pulling up two tables almost right next to each other. Trunks helped her un-hook the shaking girl and lay her onto one of the tables. Bulma held her down as Trunks climbed onto the other table. He grabbed her hand and closed his eyes, concentrating.  
  
Bulma covered her mouth and watched hopefully with tears forming in her eyes. Trunks scowled as he forced his energy to flow into Pan slowly instead of releasing it all on her, which would overload her body. When he had given her all of it except what he needed to live, he released her hand and blacked out.  
  
Pan immediately calmed down and Bulma smiled in relief, going immediately to work.  
  
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{The Androids laughed wickedly, hovering over Pan. She closed her eyes tightly and fell to her knees, waiting for them to get it over with. Suddenly, she was hit with a wave of power. It caused her to fall forward onto her hands and knees. She naturally harnessed it and stood up, glaring at the Androids.}  
  
{Something inside her just seemed to recognize this power as the level beyond Super Saiya-jin. She jumped at Juunanagou and grabbed Gohan's sword out of his hands. Juuhachigou fired a blast at her, but Pan jumped out of the way easily. She stood in front of Juuhachigou with her back faced to the Android.}  
  
{Juuhachigou scowled and pulled back her hand, then thrust it forward in an attempt to plunge it into Pan's back. However, Pan was quicker and thrust her sword straight back, through Juuhachigou's stomach. The Android gasped in horror as Pan pulled her sword out and smirked as the female Android collapsed to the ground.}  
  
{Pan looked over her shoulder and a look of pain flashed on her face, "You were already dead."}  
  
{Juunanagou gasped in horror as Pan glared at him. He crouched down to fight, but knew it was useless. Pan charged at him and sliced downwards, cutting him in half length-wise. Then she sliced him into smaller pieces and blasted them all into oblivion. She swung her sword into its sheath and folded her arms, thinking out loud.}  
  
{"...I wonder why that was the first way I could think to kill him... Oh, well, I always liked that story."}  
  
{She looked around and frowned at the endless abyss of darkness around her. She took a deep breath, deeply grateful that being Super Saiya-jin gave her at least some light. She shrugged and sat down on the ground, which was cold and felt like stone.}  
  
{She closed her eyes and smirked wickedly. Then her eyes went wide open as she realized something was wrong with her. Making a face, she recognized the battle waging inside of her. She wasn't used to this much power, and she was fighting to stay herself.}  
  
{Unwilling to lose being herself, she slipped out of Super Saiya-jin 2 form into a familiar form, regular Super Saiya-jin. She would've gone all the way back to her normal form, but the darkness was thick enough.}  
  
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Bulma scowled as she heard the phone ringing sharply next to her. She leaned back from her place hovering over the keyboard of the computer and grabbed the phone.  
  
"Moshi moshi...?" She was trying to force the emotion out of her voice, and was probably failing miserably.  
  
The person on the other line picked up on her irritation and his voice was a little shaky, "Mrs. Briefs?"  
  
"The last time I checked, now what do you want?" Bulma accidently snapped at him, her nerves seriously frayed.  
  
"Um... this is Docter Merik calling from the South City Hospital. I just called to tell you that Son ChiChi came in a few hours ago, and we're not sure what she has yet. Her body systems are starting to deteriorate... We'll call you as soon as we find out what's wrong."  
  
"...Thank you..." The docter hung up and Bulma didn't bother to hang up, but she let the phone slip from her ear and fall to the floor. The blue- haired woman put her face in her hands as the fact that ChiChi was probably dying slowly sunk in.  
  
-First Goku...then Gohan... now Pan and ChiChi. Why does their whole family have to die?? This just isn't fair...-  
  
After letting a few tears fall down her face, she went back to her computer in an attempt to escape the pain through her work.  
  
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Wai, I absolutely love working on this story! I bet anything this'll be my first completed story. I'm getting better at cliffhangers, too (I think...)! ^_^* Remember to review! 


	8. Alive

A/N: WAI, my reviews jumped from 9 to 17! O.O To my best reviewer ever, Nyago, you'll just have to read on to find out (although the title's kinda a dead giveaway... ^_^). To Rei Tamashii, I didn't literally mean the blood thing as in if Goku gave someone a blood transfusion they could get it. I meant it as someone who was born as a Son. Sorry for the confusion! ^_^* Thanks also to blue-angel1204, M-chan, SSJ-Mirai-Trunks, krisha, and Mii- chan!  
  
Chapter 8: "Alive"  
  
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Bulma took off her glasses and resisted the urge to throw them across the room. Instead she set them down by the computer and rubbed her eyes. Glancing at her watch, she realized it was 3 AM.  
  
-I can't think straight anymore...- To confirm it, she looked up at the screen and it all blurred together into one mass of unidentifiable symbols. She trudged over to the bed and collapsed on it, taking a deep breath. She quickly set her alarm before she forgot.  
  
-I'll get five hours... After that I need to kick butt and get it done...-  
  
---------------------------------  
  
She woke up suddenly and the first thought in her mind was that her alarm hadn't gone off. She looked down and realized she was 45 minutes late. She quickly jumped up and hit a button on the wall which activated her coffee- making robot. She placed herself in front of her computer and rubbed her eyes quickly to get them used to the light.  
  
She glared out the window when she heard some birds singing happily in the nearby trees, -It's not fair...-  
  
--------------------------------  
  
It took Bulma about another seven hours to create the cure. At least, that's what she told me... I don't know the exact numbers. Bulma tends to lose track of the time when she's working and Trunks was out, so it could've been longer. Oh, well. Anyway, she finished the medicine and gave it to me. After it started kicking in, the mutation stopped dead in its tracks. It took about another two weeks of regular doses of it before I started to actually look healthy. I was hit with waves of pain every once in a while, but it was MUCH better.  
  
Oh, and, according to Bulma, Trunks technically woke up after about four days. I say technically because he was completely out of it. Dazed and almost unable to speak, pretty much all he did was sleep and eat. But by the time I had pretty much recovered, he was back to normal. Well...physically, that is.  
  
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Pan opened her eyes slowly and glanced around. She couldn't make anything out, since it was all one dark blur. It slowly came into focus until she despairingly realized that she was alone in her room. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain from her chest told her that she was barely even awake - let alone strong enough to move - and forced her onto her back.  
  
Suddenly, she could make out a bright blue blur hovering over her. She slowly recognized it as Bulma and gave a weak smile. She jumped slightly when she felt something fall onto her face, but then realized that there were shiny streaks running down Bulma's face and dripping onto her cheek. The older woman was grinning like an idiot and feeling like she was literally Queen of the World.  
  
Pan weakly rolled onto her side and curled up to fall back asleep. Bulma tucked the covers around her and was about to go tell Trunks when she heard Pan whisper something.  
  
"Alive..."  
  
Bulma smiled tearfully at the girl and shut the light off, continuing down the hall.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Pan was awakened by the sound of the birds chirping outside of her window. She rolled over, silently noting she had more strength, and froze when she saw Trunks standing in front of the window staring at the sky.  
  
"Trunks...?"  
  
"You're awake."  
  
Trunks' voice sent a chill down Pan's spine. Frankly, it scared her. It was so monotone, so... emotionless. One of the only things keeping her going was him. And now he was a stone statue.  
  
She weakly forced herself into an upright position against the head-board of the bed and was shocked when Trunks continued to stand there, not protesting. Bulma walked in several minutes later and raised an eyebrow at the thick tension in the air. She walked up to Pan and smiled warmly.  
  
"How ya feeling, kid?"  
  
"Considering... the circum...stances...good."  
  
Bulma nodded approvingly and opened her mouth to say something when she was cut off by her cell phone ringing (The Androids destroyed the original ground phone lines...). Her smile faded the second the person on the other end introduced himself.  
  
"Mrs. Bulma? This is Docter Merik. Our tests just got back and ChiChi has ALS..."  
  
"What??"  
  
"ALS... Lou Gehrig's disease. She came in for her annual check-up and that's when we discovered it. She hasn't had any medical attention lately, so it wasn't caught until now. The problem is it's in the late stages. If it was in the early stages, we might have had a chance of curing it, but there's nothing we can do for her. We figure she has five months to live. I'm very sorry..."  
  
"No, that's okay...bye..." She hung up and shoved the phone into her pocket. She rubbed her eyes, a sign that she was holding back tears. Trunks turned to face her with an even more serious look than before. Bulma realized that his half-Saiya-jin hearing allowed him to hear the conversation, and she looked hesitantly at Pan.  
  
The younger girl looked at her questioningly and Bulma sighed when she realized that Pan's body systems were all still recovering, so all of her senses were probably considerably dull.  
  
-I can't tell her yet... she just came out of one abyss, I can't plunge her into another just yet...-  
  
"Uh...um, the...uh, one of the gates in the underground city is malfunctioning and they want me to go help them fix it. I guess I'll see you later. REST, Pan-chan."  
  
"Okay... Bulma...chan...cya."  
  
"Cya!"  
  
Bulma walked out and Trunks turned back to the window, only half-wondering why his mother had lied. It didn't take him long to answer his own question, however. Pan looked at Trunks then the doorway Bulma left through, wondering if she was still dreaming.  
  
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Ahh, my favorite story. The time between updates may start getting longer, though. I just got my latest obsession, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle for the Gamecube, and with me being on spring break I've been playing almost all day long. ^_^ But fear not, I'll definitely still work on the story! Don't forget to review! 


	9. Dangerous Discovery

A/N: Thanks for all my wonderful reviewers! I feel so special! ^_^ (yah, right) Anywho, to good ol' Nyago, that's for me to know and you to find out. ^_~ Nyah. Hee hee! To Hotohori4life-H4L, yes, it gets annoying sometimes. But I'm so thankful for all my wonderful reviews! To blue- angel1204, I actually haven't decided what the effect will be, but I have a pretty good idea. You'll just have to wait and see! To Lauren Williams (go read her stories! One Fateful Day and DBZ Chat Room are so good!), you'll see in this chapter!  
  
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Chapter 9: "Dangerous Discovery"  
  
Disclaimer (just realized I dun have one of these): I dun own DBZ - Akira Toriyama has no idea how lucky he is - but the story's mine!  
  
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Pan swung her legs over the side of the bed and leaned forward with her elbows resting on her thighs and her chin resting on her fists. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. She pushed her blankets off of her but then started shivering in the cold air, so she wrapped herself tighter in them.  
  
Weakly, she stood up and walked to the window. A wave of dizziness washed over her and forced her to lean against the windowsill for support. She stood there, contentedly staring at the bright blue sky. Suddenly, some voices caught her attention and she realized Trunks and Bulma were having a very deep discussion. She made her way slowly to the door and cracked it open then leaned against the wall, listening.  
  
"'Kaa-san, when are you going to tell her?"  
  
"What do you want me to say? 'We're so glad you're alive, Pan-chan. By the way, ChiChi's dying.'? We have to wait until she's well enough to handle it."  
  
"And when will that be?"  
  
"I don't know... a few more days."  
  
"...'Kaa-san, ChiChi-san only has five months. Those few days could be priceless to Pan."  
  
"Trunks! Unless you're going to risk Pan's mental health, let me handle it."  
  
"What are you talking about, 'mental health?'"  
  
"Her entire body isn't fully up and running correctly yet, including her brain. If this is suddenly thrown in her face, there's no telling how traumatized she'd be."  
  
"Traumatized... 'Kaa-san, all her family except for ChiChi is dead, more than half of the world's population has been killed by an evil pair of Androids, and she suffered through one of the deadliest diseases ever. Somehow I doubt there's much left that could traumatize her."  
  
"It's exactly BECAUSE of those things that we have to be careful! Trunks, just trust me on this. Please?"  
  
"Hmmph... fine."  
  
"Thank you. Now, can you help me in my lab for a few minutes?"  
  
"Fine..."  
  
Pan stared in shock at a picture of ChiChi on a small table next to the bed. Her vision started to go dim, until the only thing she could see was the picture of ChiChi.  
  
"...Obaa-chan...no..."  
  
Her knees started to give away under her, and she collapsed to the ground. She lifted her head and forced herself to stand up, with a look on her face which strangely matched Vejeta's determined look perfectly.  
  
"I have...to see...Obaa-chan."  
  
She limped to the living room where she grabbed Bulma's cell phone resting on a table. The symbols on the small screen started to muddle together, and she forced herself to see straight. She finally found what she was looking for and saw the phone number and name of the last person to call that phone - South City Hospital.  
  
"Gotcha..." She dropped the cell phone and limped to the door. She flung it open and dropped her blanket as she forced herself to rise into the air and fly off in the direction of the hospital.  
  
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"Trunks, hang on, let me make a phone call...," Bulma reached into one of the many pockets on her lab outfit and scowled when she didn't find her cell phone, "Ugh, where'd it go??"  
  
"You probably left it somewhere."  
  
"Figures... let's go."  
  
They made their way to the living room, where Bulma gasped when she saw Pan's blanket in the open doorway. She spotted her cell phone and picked it up, staring in shock when she saw the same display Pan had seen only seconds before.  
  
"Trunks, somehow she overheard us talking about ChiChi! She's headed to the hospital!"  
  
"...I'll be back." Trunks flew out the door after Pan. He caught up with her only minutes later, since she was at less than half of her full power and he was at full power. He wrapped his arms around her tightly to keep her from flying away and started flying back to Capsule Corporation.  
  
Pan slammed her fists onto his arms, but gave up and went limp after several futile attempts. Trunks landed on the front lawn and took Pan back to her bed. Bulma ran in right behind him and looked worriedly at Pan.  
  
The raven-haired girl was tossing in her sleep and mumbled several incoherent words, but three of them caught Bulma's ear, "Must...see...Obaa- chan..."  
  
Bulma shot Trunks an "I told you so" look, and he returned it with a blank stare. After several more minutes of Pan tossing and turning, Trunks sat on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her. Pan immediately calmed down, now just whimpering quietly. He let go and stepped back, looking away quickly.  
  
Bulma gave him a strange look, then sat down next to Pan, "Shh, Pan-chan... you can see your Obaa-chan later. Now you need rest..."  
  
"Mmm...okay...rest..." The younger girl calmed down completely and fell asleep.  
  
"Great... she just had to overhear us..." Bulma glanced up at Trunks, who was still looking away.  
  
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Pan yawned and immediately sat up, remembering about ChiChi. The quick movement gave her a splitting headache, though, and she winced in pain as she put a hand to her head. She glanced around and saw Trunks in his usual place of standing by the window. She tilted her head and shot him a strange look.  
  
-What does he do, stare out the window all day long...?-  
  
He looked at her and noticed she was awake, then looked away. Pan suddenly remembered that he had brought her back to Capsule Corporation and calmed her down. A small grin spread across her face as she jumped out of bed, hugging him.  
  
"Thank you, Trunks..."  
  
"...I only did it because 'Kaa-san wanted me to."  
  
The words stabbed through Pan like a knife and she stepped back, staring at him in horror. He coldly turned away and began walking out.  
  
"Speaking of which, if you're well enough, come eat."  
  
Pan stared at the open doorway and collapsed to the ground, tears filling her eyes.  
  
-There's no way he would save me if he didn't care... would he?-  
  
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Hee hee, I love angst! ^_^ Yah, yah, I'm weird. Anywho, don't forget to review! 


	10. Encouragement

A/N: Thanks for all my reviews (although I'm not sure what Khaos meant...)! 26 reviews... I feel special. ^_^  
  
Chapter 10: "Encouragement"  
  
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Pan forced herself onto her feet after about an hour of shock and flung open her window. She rummaged through the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a bracelet with a glowing jewel on it (Bulma had created several bracelets which had the power to completely cloak your ki, no matter what you were doing. One of her many defences against the Androids. I just happened to hang on to one, knowing it would come in handy.). She slipped it on and sighed deeply.  
  
Not having to worry about Trunks detecting her ki, she put one foot on the ledge of the window and quickly glanced back. She made a face and flew off out the window.  
  
-It's not like I'm leaving forever... I just have to see Obaa-chan.-  
  
She landed about a five-minute's walk away from the hospital and leaned against a nearby tree, breathing deeply. After she had regained some strength, she walked to the hospital. Perfectly hiding the fact that she was about to collapse, she walked up to the front desk.  
  
"Son ChiChi, please?"  
  
"May I ask who you are?"  
  
Pan sighed, irritated, "Her only living family member. ...Son Pan... her grand-daughter."  
  
"Ahh, yes. She's in room 231. Down that hall you'll come to an elevator. She's on the second floor. When you get out of the elevator, take a left and follow the numbers until you get there."  
  
Pan nodded, "Okay, thanks."  
  
She followed the receptionist's directions and took a deep breath when she reached room 231. She slowly opened the door and walked in. ChiChi was lying on her bed, watching TV. Surprisingly, she looked very healthy.  
  
-Hasn't kicked in yet...-  
  
ChiChi looked up in shock when Pan walked in, "Pan-chan!! What are you doing here? Where's Bulma and Trunks?!"  
  
Pan sighed and held up her hand to show the bracelet to ChiChi. The older woman narrowed her eyes, immediately recognizing the device.  
  
"Son Pan, you're in no condition to be up and around! Go home NOW. You need more rest! After everything you've been through, I can't believe you're here!" By now, she was sitting up. Pan looked away with a pained look and dropped her hand to her side. ChiChi recognized the look of angst and held out her hand.  
  
"C'mere... What's wrong?"  
  
Pan numbly took her hand and looked up in shock when she felt how cold ChiChi's skin was. The shock wore off and she stared down at the ground as the tears welled up.  
  
"Obaa-chan... What I've been through is nothing compared to what you're gonna go through..."  
  
"...When did they tell you?"  
  
"...Technically, they didn't. I overheard them arguing over when they were going to tell me and I kinda flipped out... but I feel better... a little. Um...Obaa-chan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"...What exactly do you have? They didn't say..."  
  
"...It's called ALS. Your body systems slowly start to shut down until...", the older woman dropped it and got a worried look when Pan glanced away and took a deep breath, "Pan-chan... Don't tell me that's all that's bothering you. I know that look."  
  
"It's Trunks..."  
  
"I thought as much. What's wrong?"  
  
"He... he's snapped. I don't even know him anymore! He's a stone statue, Obaa-chan... He's done stuff to make me sure that he cares about me, but then he acts like he couldn't care less."  
  
"Pan-chan... you weren't the only one who dramatically changed when you were sick. It sounds to me like he realized he might lose you, so he decided to alienate himself so he wouldn't get hurt."  
  
"Sounds pretty selfish to me..."  
  
"Not really. He's also probably afraid that if he gets close to you and something happens to him, you'll get hurt. Vejeta did the same kind of thing."  
  
"Vejeta...?" Pan got a doubting look on her face. ChiChi smirked and leaned back against her pillow for support.  
  
"Yes, Vejeta... He never knew what it was like to love someone or be loved, so when it happened, the only way he could think of to handle it was to... act like a jerk. He really cared for both Bulma and Trunks, he just didn't know how to show it."  
  
"Yah, but that's different... Trunks always had Bulma loving him..."  
  
"Yes, but after all, Trunks is Vejeta's son. He inherited his father's habit of withdrawing into himself when he gets scared."  
  
"I guess..."  
  
"Pan-chan, the only way you're gonna solve this is by talking to him. I can't help you on this one."  
  
"...You already have," A slow smile spread across Pan's face and she hugged her grandmother gently, "Thanks, Obaa-chan."  
  
"Anytime, Pan-chan."  
  
Pan gave the older woman a peck on the cheek and hugged her gently again, then left the room. She found the nearest open, lonely window and jumped out, flying as fast as she could to Capsule Corporation.  
  
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Pan stood in front of the doors to Capsule Corporation and froze when she realized Bulma would be furious with her for leaving. She shrugged it off and opened the door, making a face when she was bombarded with very strange smells coming from the kitchen. She went to the source and frowned when she saw Bulma hunched over a pot of... something that may have at one time resembled macaroni and cheese.  
  
Pan coughed quietly to let Bulma know she was there. Bulma still jumped and turned around, making a face.  
  
"Pan-chan! Where have you been?"  
  
"...I just went to go see Obaa-chan..."  
  
"...How is she?"  
  
"Looking as good as ever. I feel kinda bad for the docters, though..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I'm sure they've met the Magical Frying Pan by now."  
  
"Oh, that... probably. Maybe we'll all go see her in a couple of days. So, what did you talk about...?"  
  
Pan silently looked away, looking for the right words to say, "...Where's Trunks?"  
  
She looked up and had that look on her face which Bulma recognized all too well, immediately knowing what they talked about. Bulma gave her a reassuring smile and turned back to her...abomination.  
  
"He went to the gravity room about an hour ago. I'm sure he's still there."  
  
"Thanks," Pan was about to leave when she stopped and turned back to Bulma, unable to resist, "...What ARE you cooking?"  
  
"Um... It's... I have no idea. I'll call for pizza."  
  
"I...see. Well, I'm gonna go talk to Trunks..."  
  
"'Kay. Good luck."  
  
Pan shot a strange look at the pot which contained the mystery glob, "...You, too."  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes and went to the phone. As Pan left, she could hear Bulma say that she wanted the usual order, then try to get the guy to stop blabbing about how thankful he was with various comments like, "Yah, yah, I know I'm putting your kids through college..."  
  
Pan smirked then turned her attention to the gravity room doors in front of her, her expression turning serious. She walked up and pushed a button, which opened a comlink between the inside and outside.  
  
"Trunks? Um... we need to talk."  
  
"...Leave me alone."  
  
"Trunks! Either you power down the gravity machine and let me come in, or I'm going to just come in."  
  
"The gravity's at 900. You'd never survive."  
  
"So be it."  
  
"...Fine."  
  
Pan was a little surprised when she heard the slightest hint of pain in his voice when he finally gave in. She heard the gravity machine power down and opened the doors as soon as she was sure it was safe. He was facing his back to her with his arms folded. She looked at the floor, trying to figure out how to word what she was going to say.  
  
"Speak up or leave."  
  
She frowned and instinctively skipped the wording, just saying what she was thinking, "Trunks, what's wrong with you?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Don't EVEN say that. You've completely changed."  
  
"Really... I didn't notice anything."  
  
"Trunks! Quit acting like you don't know what's wrong!"  
  
"Pan!" He spun around, clenching his fists, "Just... go away!"  
  
"No! I wanna know why is it that when I got sick, you completely changed!"  
  
"Because I don't need anyone. Your disease made me realize that. Depending on other people makes you weak. I'm the only person I can count on."  
  
"Is that's what's really wrong, or are you afraid?"  
  
(Trunks narrowed his eyes with the same look on his face that he had all those years ago when I insulted his honor... But this time, there was something else in his eyes...)  
  
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Aww, what a horrible place to leave off, I know. ^_^ Stay tuned to find out! Yah, yah, weird cliffhanger, right? ^_~ Review!! 


	11. Beginning of The End

A/N: Thanks for all my reviews! Especially to Venus Smurf. ^_~ I feel so special... ahh, enough with the cheesy stuff. Thanks for everyone who's reviewed!  
  
Chapter 11: "Beginning of The End"  
  
Where I left off last time: (Trunks narrowed his eyes with the same look on his face that he had all those years ago when I insulted his honor... But this time, there was something else in his eyes...)  
  
----------------------------------  
  
(...he knew I was right.)  
  
Trunks searched for the words to say, but he finally gave up and scowled just like his father, turning away. Pan sighed.  
  
"...Fine... live your life behind a stone wall, just because you're scared you'll get hurt. ...You never cared about me... I have no one left. Why did I have to survive that disease...?"  
  
She said the last part more to herself than anyone. Trunks closed his eyes in an effort to keep the tears from spilling over.  
  
"Pan..."  
  
"What." She spat out the word. Trunks looked back over his shoulder and Pan caught his look of agony.  
  
"...I...do care about you...it's just..."  
  
Neither of them could think of what to say, so they stood there in silence. Thankfully, the silence was interrupted when Bulma's voice came over the intercom.  
  
"Um... I'm really sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem."  
  
Trunks spoke up, his voice cold again, "What is it, 'Kaa-san?"  
  
"Something's happened to one of our labs in the underground city."  
  
"...Something?" Pan narrowed her eyes and folded her arms.  
  
"...It just exploded."  
  
"What?! What happened?" The raven-haired girl's eyes were wide with shock.  
  
"We're not sure... it only happened five minutes ago. They're still clearing out the smoke."  
  
"Bulma-chan, labs don't just explode by themselves..."  
  
"I know. That's why I want you two to go investigate it."  
  
Trunks grabbed his towel and put it around his neck, then walked out of the gravity chamber. Pan sighed deeply and followed him.  
  
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"Trunks, hurry up!"  
  
Trunks emerged in the doorway to his room and folded his arms, "I'm not going..."  
  
"What?? You heard Bulma, she needs our help!"  
  
"So help her. I'm staying here."  
  
"Trunks..."  
  
Pan let out a small cry as he walked back into his room, slamming the door shut. She stood there for several moments with her mouth open, shocked at what had just happened. Shaking herself out of it, she flung open the front door and flew off to the location of the underground city.  
  
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Pan coughed as the dusty air stung at her lungs. She spotted Bulma several feet away and ran up to her.  
  
"Anything?"  
  
"It definitely wasn't a mistake. ...Where's Trunks?"  
  
"He...uh...he didn't come."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"I know, I don't get it, either... He just refused to come."  
  
"Ugh, what's up with that boy?" when Pan shrugged, Bulma went back to the subject at hand, "Um... they need some help clearing out that section over there."  
  
"'Kay."  
  
"Oh, and try not to destroy anything. We're hoping to use the scraps to re- build."  
  
"You got it. No blasting."  
  
Bulma shook her head as an attendant ran up to her with news that one of the sections was cleared. Pan walked to the huge pile of rubble and frowned as she sensed a very faint ki buried deep in the rubble. She started quickly flinging pieces of wall and ceiling out of her way until she found the hand and pulled it. The person was wedged in too deep, though, and only a head and arm were loose. Pan was about to comfort the person until she could get him free, but he cut her off.  
  
"Armageddon...shall...come..."  
  
Pan narrowed her eyes as the guy weakly held up a video tape then collapsed. She stared at the lifeless form for several minutes, then turned to Bulma.  
  
"Bulma-chan! You probably want to see this..."  
  
Bulma walked up to Pan and narrowed her eyes, "A video-tape...?"  
  
The older woman turned towards the crowd of workers and cleared her throat, "Everyone, keep clearing this out. Pan and I will be in the East Wing offices if anything goes wrong. Let's get back to work!"  
  
Everyone nodded and went back to clearing away the rubble.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
They popped the tape into the VCR and stepped back, waiting. It showed some static, then a man standing in front of a large group of people. He had long black hair and dark brown eyes with his arms crossed. Him and the entire group were carrying rifles.  
  
"Bulma Briefs. I am Kaijin. I hope you liked our little display. This is only the beginning. The human race is coming to an end, and we're going to relieve its suffering by speeding up the process. Armageddon shall come!"  
  
As he said the last phrase, he thrust his fist into the air and the crowd of people behind him did the same, chanting the phrase over and over. Pan slammed the stop button, trying her hardest not to destroy the VCR in the process, then scowled at the TV.  
  
"Kaijin... ultimate destruction..."  
  
Bulma folded her arms and frowned, "Great... instead of trying to save it, they're going to destroy it."  
  
"...We've got to find them. The underground city is only so big."  
  
"There's no guarantee they're gathered here, though. They could be anywhere on the planet."  
  
"We'll find them."  
  
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A/N: Hee hee hee, I got you all worked up about Trunks, then it turned out not to be much. Sorry! ^_~ At least SOMETHING interesting happened. Remember to review! 


	12. Devastation

A/N: Thank you soo much for the reviews! The story's almost done, actually. Probably about... 5 chapters left. ^_~ Oh, just a teency warning, this chapter gets violent. Nothing REALLY gory, though.  
  
Chapter 12: "Devastation"  
  
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It had been several long months of dealing with that stupid Kaijin. Trunks still refused to help, so I had pretty much become the "general" of the whole thing. But one day, it all changed. Bulma and Okaa-san were in the headquarters of the UC, as we began calling it. It just so happened that was the same day we caught one of "them." It was actually a kid who was about 11 or 12 who was sick and tired of seeing his family destroy the remnants of the human race.  
  
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The boy looked around nervously at the almost empty room. There was one table with two chairs, and the walls were all painted white. He glanced up when the door opened and Pan walked in with two guards who stood on both sides of the door, holding rifles.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"...Jaden."  
  
"Jaden... why are you here?"  
  
"Because... I don't wanna see my little sister taking after them... She's only five. If this doesn't stop, she'll end up being a cold-hearted killer."  
  
"...How old are you?"  
  
"12... I'll be 13 next week."  
  
"You sure don't act like you're 13."  
  
"No one on this planet is allowed a childhood..."  
  
"Too true...So what did you want to tell us?"  
  
"...I know their next target..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"...They're going to attack the headquarters."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Assassins have been instructed to take out Bulma and Videl."  
  
"...Oh, no... when?"  
  
"Um..." he glanced at a clock on the wall, "Ten minutes. ...I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I had to wait until my parents left so I could sneak out."  
  
Pan scowled and turned to the guards, instructing them to take the boy to some of the guest quarters. She opened the door and ran off down the halls. As she was running to get out of the building, she flipped open her wrist communicator.  
  
"Hey, Colonel Bryan. Send three teams to the headquarters, ASAP! There's some assassins there waiting to take out Bulma and Videl. I don't know how many there are, but we've got ten minutes. Remember, covert!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
Pan cut the connection and reached the front doors, then flew out towards the headquarters. As she was flying, she realized that Trunks would probably want to help. She opened her communicator and tried to contact him, but he wouldn't answer. She scowled in frustration.  
  
"Trunks, you...BAKA!"  
  
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Pan reached the headquarters and quickly located the assassin's ki on a nearby building roof. She was just about to fly up and stop him when she heard the gun go off. A split-second later, she heard glass shattering and women screaming from several floors above where Pan was floating. Her mind froze as it numbly registered that one of the woman's screams was Videl.  
  
Her rage enveloped her and the only thing she could think about was killing the assassin. She used super-speed to appear in front of him, making him fall back. Unfortunately, while he fell back, his finger slipped and pulled the trigger, which sent a bullet whizzing towards the headquarters. Pan heard another short scream and her ki started sky-rocketing.  
  
She screamed and slammed her foot into the man, sending him flying at amazing speed into a nearby building, snapping his neck in the process. Her rage slightly sub-siding, she flew through the previously-shattered window and collapsed to the ground. Videl was on the ground with a small bullet- hole in her chest and a pool of blood quickly forming around her. Bulma was on the ground a few feet away with a bullet hole in her chest. Pan's mind just barely registered that the bullet had missed Bulma's heart and she was still alive.  
  
She realized she needed to get immediate help and numbly opened her wrist communicator. At first, she began talking in nothing but a whisper, but her voice gradually rose as the emotions swelled in her.  
  
"...Help...help... HELP! Get medics into Bulma Brief's office, NOW!!"  
  
She closed her communicator before she received an answer and scrambled over to Videl. She picked up her mother's still form and held her close, her mind numbly realizing that the woman was already dead. Several tears fell down her face, only a sign of the torrent raging inside her. She began breathing deeply and finally lost it, releasing all the barriers.  
  
She let out a tortured scream which shattered the remaining windows. Her ki sky-rocketed and soon enveloped her in a blanket of rich, golden power. Her scream ceased and she bent down with her face just inches from Videl's. Suddenly, sobs overtook her and started wracking her body. She sat like that for what seemed like forever, her mind in a state of complete and utter chaos.  
  
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Trunks sat up as soon as he felt it - Pan's ki sky-rocketed, Videl's had plummeted, and Bulma's was wavering. He looked at his wrist communicator and saw the small green light that was flashing, indicating someone had tried to contact him.  
  
-Oh, no... Why'd I have to fall asleep?!-  
  
He flung open his window and took off as fast as he could towards the headquarters. He froze, floating in front of the building, staring at Pan. Suddenly, a breeze blew and Trunks watched silently at her long, golden, spiky bangs brushing against Videl's cheek, as well as the long locks of spiky golden hair going down her back.  
  
-SSJ2...-  
  
Trunks took his gaze off Pan to look at Bulma and his eyes went wide in shock. He flew into the window and picked her up gently, quickly taking her to the infirmary at the basement of the building. There, she was swarmed with a group of docters and surgeons who insisted that Trunks couldn't help any more and that he should leave. He gave in eventually, but only after making them promise to notify him the SECOND anything changed.  
  
He slowly made his way to Bulma's office where he saw Pan still hovering over Videl. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, trying his hardest to keep his barriers up.  
  
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WAI, I love this! ^_^ Anywho, (I repeat myself a lot....) this story's almost done... :*( But that's okay, 'cause then I can start working on Dealing With the Pain again! Yay! ^_^* Uh... ahem... remember to review! 


	13. Revenge

A/N: Oh, just so ya know, "Omae o korosu" means "I'm going to kill you." ^_~ Nice teaser, eh? Anywho, thanks to all the reviewers! To Nyago, Videl was alive but pretty much completely buried in making the Underground City, so she didn't have much of a home life. That's why Pan decided she might as well stay at Capsule Corp. I know I didn't get into it much, but they do spend time together and stuff. Sorry! ^_^  
  
Chapter 13: "Revenge"  
  
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Pan slowly walked up behind Trunks. He was standing at the foot of Bulma's bed. She had a bunch of tubes hooked up to her and the only sound was the steady beeping of the heartbeat machine. Trunks glanced at Pan and raised an eyebrow when he saw she was still in Super Saiya-jin 2. Pan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
Through their Saiya-jin bond, they could easily feel each other's anguish, even through the barriers they had put up. Pan was desperately hoping that Trunks would lower his barrier, but he continued to hide behind it, so she did the same.  
  
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Trunks groggily woke up and looked up. He had been in the hospital for about two days straight and was starting to get sick and tired of everything about it. As his headache slowly cleared, he saw Pan out cold on the other side of Bulma's bed. Her raven hair was falling across her face, somewhat hiding the tear stains. He sighed deeply and looked away, wondering why he had pretended to hate her.  
  
Suddenly, something caught his attention. That familiar beeping was no longer heard. Instead, there was a constant, high-pitched, annoying buzz. His mind immediately registered it and he looked at the machine which was supposed to be monitoring her heartbeat.  
  
Flat line.  
  
Trunks shook his head slowly and bent over his mother, hugging her tightly. Pan woke up from the commotion and rubbed her eyes, still groggy.  
  
"Trunks...?"  
  
Her gaze fell on Bulma's pale hand lying next to her. Pan slowly reached forward and grabbed it, not prepared for the iciness of it. Her eyes widened in realization and she jumped up, slamming her palm on a button on the wall which alerted a nurse.  
  
The nurse came in and saw it, then started to run out when Trunks stood up. He spoke, his voice cold and emotionless.  
  
"No... I'll take her."  
  
The nurse nodded slowly and Pan glanced at him. Their gazes locked and she understood what to do.  
  
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Pan and Trunks stood side-by-side on a large hill on the Surface. In front of them were eight very familiar graves with two fresh graves beside them. Pan's eyes skimmed over all of them - Goku, Gohan, Vejeta, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chiaoutzu, Krillen, and Piccolo- and her eyes stopped when they came to Videl's grave, which was next to Gohan's. She knelt down between her parent's graves and held two red roses in her hands. She slumped, fighting back the tears.  
  
"You two were the most important people in my life... Heh, for nine years you WERE my life. You were the strongest people who probably ever lived... and now only two people will remember your legacy. I will always live to make you proud of me... In the mean-time, I hope you find each other."  
  
She breathed deeply, forcing herself to keep her barrier up. She set one rose on each grave and wiped away a stray tear, sitting with the wind whipping her hair around her face.  
  
Meanwhile, Trunks looked at his father's grave and closed his eyes, bowing his head in respect, -'Too-san... I miss you. And I finally realize how much you always loved us... even though you rarely acted like it.-  
  
He looked at his mother's grave and made a pained face, -'Kaa-san... you were my only reason for living... Until now. I'm going to miss both of you, but... I know you're pleased with the mate I've chosen.-  
  
Pan stood up and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. However, she failed miserably and the dam broke, sending tears flowing down her face. She turned around and sobbed for a few moments before she flung herself at Trunks. She wrapped her arms around his waist, the tears flowing down her face with nothing to hold them back.  
  
Trunks looked surprised for a few moments before he hugged her back, resting his cheek on her head. He closed his eyes as several tears fell down his face.  
  
They stood leaning against each other and crying for hours, dropping all the barriers and releasing their anguish. Finally, Pan started to go limp and Trunks realized she was exhausted. He picked her up and flew her back to the underground city, putting her in her room.  
  
He laid her down on her bed and jumped when he heard an explosion just down the street. He immediately recognized Kaijin's ki and a look of rage flashed in his eyes. He opened the window and flew out, spotting Kaijin easily. Kaijin turned to face him and smirked wickedly. Trunks glared at him with one of those "if-looks-could-kill-you'd-be-rotting-three-feet- underground" looks.  
  
"Kaijin... omae o korosu."  
  
"Hahaha, right, little boy."  
  
"You're going to regret the day you took on the Briefs and Son families."  
  
"They deserved to die. Mankind is doomed to become extinct, anyway. We're just speeding up the process."  
  
"...Okay, instead of trying to SAVE the remnant, you're destroying it... therefore destroying our only chance of surviving. I'll never understand you... not that it matters. You're going to die."  
  
"Bring it on." Kaijin let out a war cry and a whole army of trained soldiers rose behind him.  
  
Trunks smirked and began screaming, pushing himself to his limits. His hair flashed golden, then lengthened past what it normally was in Super Saiya- jin, into Super Saiya-jin 2.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Pan woke suddenly when she felt the sky-rocketing ki. She immediately recognized it as Trunks, and jumped up. She felt numerous ki's disappearing right after another. She jumped out the window and froze when she saw Trunks realeasing ki blasts everywhere in a fit of rage. Then she spotted Kaijin and growled, flashing into Super Saiya-jin 2.  
  
Using super-speed, she appeared in front of him and folded her arms. He stared up at her in shock, trying to make sense of it.  
  
"I know what you're thinking... 'What are they?' Am I right?" she smirked when he remained speechless and narrowed her eyes, "Lemme tell you... We're the remnants of the Saiya-jin race. Our mothers will be avenged."  
  
She let out a scream and powered up a blast, but stopped when a rocket slammed into her back. She spun around and was about to blast the person who shot it at her, when she saw Trunks release a ki beam at the man. She turned around to face Kaijin and was about to blow him away when Trunks appeared next to her.  
  
"My turn."  
  
"...We can't both kill him."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
He stood several feet away from Kaijin with his side facing the man. He held his hand out and glared at the man, still facing away. Pan recognized it as one of the twin attacks the Jinzouningen used and flew over to him with her back to him, mirroring him. They both growled and released enormous ki blasts at the man, causing a huge explosion which destroyed the rest of Kaijin's army.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Ooo, what happens now? Hee hee, I know and you'll have to wait to find out! ^_^ Review! 


	14. Bonded

A/N: Thanks for all my reviews! I was thinking that I would offer to send out e-mails for when the next chapter is out, so if you're interested, leave your e-mail address in a review if you're not Signed. Oh, and as a side-note, "Nani?" means "What?"  
  
Chapter 14: "Bonded"  
  
"Talking"  
  
~Telepathic link~  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Pan stood amidst the wreckage in a daze. Her mind and body were too exhausted to do much else, so she stood there like a zombie. Trunks slowly walked up to her and sighed. They could feel each other's emptiness through their bond. Suddenly, one thought shot through Pan's mind.  
  
ChiChi.  
  
The raven-haired girl collapsed to the ground, guilt and shame washing over her. She released a few more tears, still in a state of numbness.  
  
~I can't believe myself... Obaa-chan's going to die and I've been too busy to see her. I'm not even worthy to be called a demi Saiya-jin...~  
  
Trunks looked up in surprise. He stared at Pan, shocked that he had heard her and sure that she hadn't spoken anything. Then he smirked, realizing what had happened, and decided to answer her.  
  
~Don't blame yourself... A lot's happened and I'm sure ChiChi will understand. Besides, she still has about two months left.~  
  
~...Trunks?~  
  
~...I'll explain later.~  
  
~Okay... but two months isn't nearly enough. I've practically ignored her my whole life and I can't make up for that in two months.~  
  
~Try.~  
  
Pan fell silent and slowly stood up. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, then started walking towards the hospital. Trunks made a pained look as she walked away and tried to reach her.  
  
~Pan-chan... would you mind if I came?~  
  
~Whatever... you still need to explain this...thing.~  
  
~Okay,~ he ran to her and began walking next to her, then began explaining, ~It's the Saiya-jin bond. 'Tou-san was always talking about it. ...Now I know why 'Kaa-san was so... completely out of it after he died.~  
  
~O...kay, so...~ she trailed off, not knowing how to word it. Trunks smirked, understanding her unasked question.  
  
~One, it creates a telepathic link, which you already know. Two, if we're away from each other, it'll hurt... If one of us gets hurt, the other'll feel it. It won't hurt like it would if it actually happened to, but you'll feel it. Three, we can feel each other's emotions. It's VERY hard to put up a barrier now that we're fully bonded. So we'll know how we each truly feel deep down inside--~  
  
~No privacy...~  
  
~That's the thing. This is the Saiya-jin equivalent of a marriage.~  
  
That last comment stopped Pan dead in her tracks. Trunks also stopped walking and glanced back at her. Pan spoke up, her voice shaky.  
  
"...Marriage?"  
  
~Mm-hmm... it's actually better than a human marriage.~  
  
Pan took a deep breath and continued walking, ~How so?~  
  
~Well, for one, only people who are destined to be together bond. There's no confusion. It's also completely honest. The other thing is that it can't be broken unless one of the Saiya-jins in the bond honestly loses ALL sort of affection for the other. The problem with that is that the other Saiya- jin has to suffer through a broken bond, which usually ends up killing them. Fortunately, that's VERY rare.~  
  
~No divorce...~  
  
~Exactly.~  
  
~But what about Bulma and Vejeta? How did he bond with Bulma?~  
  
~I dunno... I guess the bond works with other species.~  
  
~Couldn't that be dangerous...?~  
  
~Honestly? It's very dangerous. But it's even rarer for a Saiya-jin to bond with someone of another race. Maybe one in every three million.~  
  
~Guess Vejeta was that one.~  
  
Trunks fell silent, which pretty much ended the conversation until Pan spoke up.  
  
~...So... this means we love each other?~  
  
~Yup.~  
  
~Hah, no more hiding from me.~  
  
~Nani...?~  
  
Pan didn't respond, but wrapped around Trunks' arm. He looked down at her, and her look answered him.  
  
~I'm so sorry, Pan-chan... I was scared.~  
  
~S'ok. But...~  
  
~But...?~  
  
~I think we should have a human marriage. Just to symbolize everything we've lost...~  
  
~Okay...~  
  
Trunks wrapped his arm around Pan's shoulder and smiled. They finished their walk to the hospital in silence, both pondering their new bond.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Aww! *sniff* ^_^ Mushy! Anywho, remember to review! 


	15. Marriage

A/N: Here's the really mushy chapter I'm sure you've all been waiting for. ^_^ Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Oh, an as a side-note, this story has about... three chapters left. Anywho, enjoy!  
  
Chapter 15: "Marriage"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Pan stepped into ChiChi's hospital room and froze when she saw all the tubes and IV's hooked up to the older woman. However, she quickly recovered and walked up to the bed with Trunks following.  
  
The raven-haired girl pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down in it, leaning on the bed. She took ChiChi's hand and rubbed it, trying to gently wake up the sleeping woman. ChiChi slowly opened her eyes and looked at Pan.  
  
Pan smiled, trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check, "...Obaa- chan... I'm so sorry; I should've come to see you more often..."  
  
"It's not your fault, Pan... You were busy dealing with Kaijin."  
  
ChiChi was forced to mumble since the disease had pretty much destroyed the use of her tongue and even with her Saiya-jin hearing, Pan had a hard time understanding.  
  
"That's a stupid excuse! You're the only family I have left, and nothing should have prevented me from seeing you."  
  
"Pan-chan..."  
  
"Obaa-chan... I'll never forgive myself..."  
  
"Pan, stop blaming yourself. You've been doing that for too many years already."  
  
"But... I've screwed everything up..."  
  
"Pan, I said stop! Gohan did not die because of you. Videl did not die because of you. ...I won't die because of you."  
  
Pan was unable to respond since she was choking on her tears. She finally broke down and hugged ChiChi, sobbing. Trunks folded his arms and looked away painfully, since he could feel all of Pan's anguish.  
  
When Pan had calmed down and was sitting back in her chair, ChiChi looked over at Trunks, who nodded respectfully. Pan looked up at Trunks and a smile slowly spread over her face.  
  
"Um... Obaa-chan... We have something to tell you," Pan grinned at the older woman, "...We're getting married."  
  
Trunks smirked and spoke up, "Actually, we're already married... as Saiya- jins... but Pan wanted to have a human ceremony."  
  
"Congratulations! Pan-chan, I'm so sorry you won't be able to have a big ceremony."  
  
"Ehh, that's okay... to tell the truth, I didn't want anything huge."  
  
"I figured as much. You've always been like that. ...So... when's the wedding?"  
  
"Um..." Pan scratched her head, confused, "Hadn't... thought of that part yet..."  
  
Trunks grinned at Pan, "Why not now?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We could wear what we're wearing now, find a minister in the hospital somewhere, and do it at The Memorial."  
  
"The Memorial? Isn't it kinda weird to have a wedding at a gravesite...?"  
  
"No, it can be symbolic..."  
  
Pan shrugged, "Sounds good to me. I'll get a nurse to get ChiChi ready to go with us."  
  
ChiChi smiled proudly at both of them. Trunks nodded and walked to the door.  
  
"I'm gonna go get the minister, and then... um... I have to grab something."  
  
Pan gave him a weird look and nodded. She pushed a button to call a nurse and hugged ChiChi gently, showing off the famous Son-family grin.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Trunks and Pan stood holding each other's hands side-by-side between ChiChi and the minister. The two of them were hardly even paying attention as he spoke. However, Pan did hear something he said and she closed her eyes in pain at the memories.  
  
"...These two people who have managed to come together despite everything our world has been through..."  
  
Trunks made a worried face and Pan looked up at him, smiling reassuringly. He calmed down and smiled back at her. They just barely heard the minister say for them to face each other for their vows. They repeated the standard vows after him, and Pan tensed up when he began doing the part with the rings. She looked up at Trunks and he smirked at her.  
  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. When Pan looked at him, confused, he explained it to her, "'Tou-san used to tell me about how the King and Queen of Vejeta-sei would wear matching necklaces as a symbol of their rank and bond. The symbol in the center is the official symbol of Vejeta-sei."  
  
"...King and Queen...?"  
  
"Mm-hmm... since my Father was royalty, I'm his heir. Now he's dead, so I technically took over the throne. ...Too bad there's no throne anymore."  
  
"I...guess it makes sense."  
  
They were both brought back to reality when the minister patiently reminded them that they were in the middle of a wedding. They both nodded their apologies and Trunks un-clasped the necklace, then put it around Pan's neck. Pan did the same to him, and then they waited impatiently for the last part.  
  
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
Pan grinned and put her arms around Trunks' neck and leaned in, kissing him deeply. Trunks returned the kiss and put his arms around her waist. ChiChi smiled proudly at them, and the minister walked over next to ChiChi, also smiling.  
  
They finally parted and turned to look at the graves, Trunks with his arm around Pan's shoulder and Pan with her arm around Trunks' waist.  
  
~It's too bad they weren't here to see all this... 'Tou-san would be proud to see me carrying on the tradition. ~  
  
~Yah, but don't you remember the stories? They're probably at Kaio-sama's place having a party. ~  
  
They both began laughing and the two on-lookers gave them slightly confused looks.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Aww, the really mushy chapter! Anywho, in case anyone was confused (this is mostly so I can get it out of my head, you don't have to read it. It's just my explanation of my theory of the Saiya-jin royal line), I read an idea from someone (don't remember who. Sorry! ^_^) that the reason Vejeta never admits he's the King even though his father is dead is because in Saiya-jin tradition, Princes have to defeat the King in order to claim that title, and if someone else defeats the King first, then it transfers over to whoever defeated the King. In the story, King Vejeta is defeated by Frieza, so now it's Vejeta's duty to defeat Frieza. He fails in that, too, since Goku defeated Frieza, so now it's Vejeta's duty to defeat Goku. Well, I carried that a step further and now the Androids killed Vejeta, so it was Trunks' duty to defeat the Androids, which he accomplishes, taking his Father's title. Also, since the person who Vejeta had to defeat for the title is gone, then Trunks doesn't have a duty in that aspect so he takes over the title as King. I know it's probably more confusing now, though... Sorry! ^_^  
  
Oh, and if you want a picture reference for the necklaces, here's the link that takes you directly to the picture I got the idea from. The symbol in the center is the one on the armor. http://kntnet.com/Vegeta/Vegeta04.jpg Remember to review! 


	16. The New Arrival

A/N: Sorry for the long wait!! Lately I've been concentrating on a couple of my other stories which aren't up yet, but should be soon. Anywho, I'll probably be updating the last two chapters here soon, so stay tuned! Oh, and in this chapter it's been two months since Trunks and Pan got married and ChiChi is expected to go any day. Thanks to all my reviewers!!  
  
Chapter 16: "The New Arrival"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Pan rolled over in bed and slowly opened her eyes. She frowned as she glanced at the clock and saw that it was 2:00 in the morning.  
  
-Go back to sleep, Pan...- She rolled over again to face Trunks, who was lying on his side, facing her, sound asleep. Pan smiled as she watched him sleep. He was so cute when his bangs fell into his face like that.  
  
Then, suddenly, she felt a ki very nearby. After several minutes of concentrating, she realized that it was this ki which had woken her up. She quickly sat up in bed and narrowed her eyebrows.  
  
-That ki isn't nearly strong enough to be of any concern... so why did it wake me up?-  
  
Pan's ki began to rise when she felt the familiarity yet strangeness of the ki. Trunks shifted next to her and opened his eyes. He looked up at her and gave her a worried look.  
  
"Pan-chan...?"  
  
"Trunks... Do you feel that?"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"That ki! Do you feel it?"  
  
Trunks sat up next to her, narrowing his eyes, "Yah... you woke me up for that?"  
  
"No... It woke me up."  
  
"But it's not even that strong..."  
  
"That's what worries me..."  
  
"Well, it's very close by... Hold on." Trunks got out of bed and pushed a button on a panel on the wall which activated the guard robots. Trunks briefly wondered why they even had those, but he dismissed the thought as he crouched next to the glass doors, which lead to a balcony.  
  
Pan got up and moved to the door, scowling. Trunks turned to her and scowled as well.  
  
~It's not moving... what gives?~  
  
~I don't...~ Pan trailed off and stared at Trunks with an expressionless look on her face. He looked at Pan with a look of absolute confusion on his face. He jumped when Pan began laughing.  
  
At first it was just a chuckle, but it soon blossomed into a full-force laugh which had Pan sitting on the ground holding her stomach. Trunks stared at her like she was absolutely insane. She tried to stop laughing but when she was unable, she used their link.  
  
~It's not an enemy, Trunks!~  
  
~Then what is it?!~ His "voice" was filled with desperation, so Pan desperately tried to calm herself down.  
  
~It's... right here... in the room...~  
  
Trunks immediately crouched into his fighting stance, still completely baffled as to why his wife was laughing her head off at a stranger being in their bedroom at 2:00 in the morning.  
  
~Why...are...you...LAUGHING?!~  
  
~Trunks, it's not an enemy! ~  
  
~Then who is it, a squirrel?!~  
  
Pan laughed even harder, if it was possible, at this comment, ~Trunks, I'm pregnant! ~  
  
Trunks froze in place and stared at her with an expressionless look on his face. Pan's laughs finally ceased and she watched him, afraid of his reaction. She got up and slowly walked over to him. She began to get even more freaked out when he continued standing there, still staring at the spot where she had just been sitting.  
  
"Trunks...?"  
  
After several long minutes, he finally managed to form words, "I...father...pregnant..."  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
Trunks immediately snapped out of his shock and smiled at her. She slowly calmed down, still slightly worried about him.  
  
"Wow, Pan-chan... you're... this is amazing."  
  
"I know! Isn't it great?"  
  
"Uh... yah..." Trunks' smile faltered for a few seconds and Pan looked at him, worried.  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
"Um... sorry, drifted off there for a second. This is great news!"  
  
"Yah... I know..." Pan still sounded happy, but she had a more suspicious tone to her voice as she realized something was wrong.  
  
"Um... I'm gonna go train, okay? You get some sleep..."  
  
"What?"  
  
Trunks pretended not to hear her as he quickly left the room and headed down the hallways to the gravity chamber. When he got there, he entered and leaned heavily on the panel that had the gravity chamber controls. He began breathing heavily with sweat coating his face.  
  
Shakily, he reached up and set the controls for the gravity chamber, setting it as high as his body could possibly stand.  
  
Meanwhile, Pan was in their room wondering why he had sounded so upset. She shook her head to try to clear all her thoughts, and finally left the room, following him.  
  
Pan walked up to the clear glass panel that separated the hallway from the gravity chamber. She was shocked to see him pushing himself to his limits. The thing that bothered her more was that he never did that unless something was seriously bothering him.  
  
She tapped lightly on the glass, knowing he heard it. He landed on the ground and slowly walked to the panel in the center of the room. He powered down the machine and pushed a button to open the door. Pan stepped inside and slowly walked up behind Trunks, who was hunched over the panel, breathing heavily.  
  
"Trunks-chan...?" When all she received was silence, she forced him to turn and look at her. She was absolutely shocked when she saw tears in his eyes, "Trunks-chan?"  
  
"Pan-chan..."  
  
They embraced each other, Pan desperately wanting to know what was wrong with him. Trunks closed his eyes and painfully looked away, resting his cheek on Pan's head.  
  
~Pan-chan... I... can't do this. ~  
  
~Can't do what? ~  
  
~A child, Pan! ...A...child... ~  
  
~Trunks... ~ Pan's heart ached as the words dug into her like daggers. Suddenly, she had the most horrifying thought she had ever had enter her mind.  
  
-What if he leaves me?-  
  
Tears filled her eyes and several spilled over, falling onto Trunks' shirt. He made a worried face and pulled back to look at her.  
  
~Pan-chan? ~  
  
~Trunks... after everything we've been through... please don't leave me... ~  
  
More tears spilled over, and Trunks ached at the thought that she had misunderstood him, ~No, Pan-chan, I'll never leave you. I just... our world's dying. How can we bring a child into THIS? ~  
  
~Trunks-kun... I hadn't thought of that... ~  
  
Trunks could feel her emotions swelling as the new problem registered in her mind. He sighed softly and leaned towards her, kissing her gently. Pan released more tears as she kissed him back.  
  
They parted and a small grin spread across Trunks' face, "I have a solution..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ooo, what's Trunks' solution? Haha, you'll know soon enough. ^_~ And be sure to click on that little button down there called "Review." It's been feeling lonely lately. Thankies!! 


	17. Final Hours

A/N: Whee! I've missed all my reviewers! Anywho, thankies to all of you and congrats to Nyago and Mii-chan, who figured it out! I'm sorry, I know that was really predictable, but it sets the stage for the main story, which was the whole idea. ^_^ Anywho, read on!  
  
Chapter 17: "Final Hours"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Pan stared in confusion at Trunks, who was grinning at her. He took a step back and folded his arms, closing his eyes.  
  
"Trunks, what is it, already?!"  
  
He took a deep breath and answered, his smirk never leaving his face, "We go back to the past."  
  
"...What?"  
  
"Back to the past! Well... not our past. The other timeline."  
  
Pan looked away and folded her arms, carefully considering the suggestion. After several long minutes, she looked up at him sadly, "Trunks... we can't just leave."  
  
"...?"  
  
"Ugh! ChiChi and lots of other people are depending on us!"  
  
"Pan-chan, all those people who depend on us besides ChiChi could fit inside one small section of this building. 10, maybe 11 rooms."  
  
Pan looked away as tears flooded her eyes, "I won't leave ChiChi."  
  
Trunks took a deep breath. They both knew the answer to that problem, but neither of them wanted to say it. Finally, Pan figured that Trunks wouldn't speak up.  
  
"...So... you're suggesting we leave after she's dead."  
  
"...Yes."  
  
Pan turned away, struggling with the decision. To leave their world once ChiChi was dead, leaving the rest of the people to fend for themselves and sooner or later, probably sooner, face extinction.  
  
"What about the rest of the people? We can't just... abandon them. Yet... there's no way this small handful of people could re-populate Earth..."  
  
Trunks sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know..."  
  
"Well, let's figure this out later... we should tell ChiChi about the baby."  
  
Trunks nodded, still deep in thought. Pan stepped out onto the balcony, taking a breath of the cold air. She smirked and jumped over the side of the balcony and landed gracefully on her feet. Trunks jumped into the air and floated down in front of her.  
  
"What'd you do that for?!"  
  
"Do what...?" Pan raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Just jump over the balcony like that! You could've been hurt!"  
  
"...Trunks, I can go SSJ2... I honestly don't think jumping off a balcony will hurt me."  
  
"...Yah, I guess you're right... Just...don't freak me out like that."  
  
Pan shook her head, smirking, and ran to the hospital. Since there were so few people left, everyone moved closer. Because of this, the building Trunks and Pan lived in was right next to the hospital so Pan could visit Chichi.  
  
Trunks sighed and took off after her. They walked inside and started heading down the hall that would take them to ChiChi's room, when someone reached out and grabbed Pan's shoulder.  
  
She stopped and turned around, looking very confused when she saw the doctor. The shorter man took a deep breath and forced himself to look at her.  
  
"We were just about to call you... You should go see her quickly. She's in her final hours."  
  
Pan's mouth dropped open in shock and she nodded numbly. Forcing her muscles to cooperate, she ran to ChiChi's room. She put her hand up to the doorknob and was about to turn it, but suddenly she couldn't move. She was overcome by a wave of grief, but she weakly shook it off and opened the door.  
  
She froze when she saw the older woman lying in bed, looking even paler than the day before, "Obaa-chan...?"  
  
ChiChi very slowly opened her eyes and Pan's heart broke at the helplessness. The older woman forced as big a smile as she could, which unfortunately didn't look at all like a smile.  
  
Pan made her way to ChiChi's bed, desperately trying to keep her barriers up.  
  
-I.... I have to be strong. I can't let her see how devastated I am... No, she needs all the strength she can get.-  
  
Pan took a seat next to ChiChi's bed and took a deep breath, "Hey, um... I have some good news."  
  
Trunks stepped into the room and made a pained face when he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, which Pan was unknowingly dumping on him. He took a deep breath and regained control of himself, taking a spot on the wall. He leaned back and folded his arms, sadly watching and feeling his wife's last fears spill out.  
  
"Um... Obaa-chan... I'm pregnant."  
  
No words were necessary - the look on ChiChi's face said all that she was thinking. Pan smiled in relief but it quickly faded as she noticed ChiChi's ki was beginning to fade.  
  
"No... Obaa-chan..."  
  
Even if her tongue was working, ChiChi wouldn't have been able to respond, because she was on the verge of unconsciousness. Pan began to panic, knowing if ChiChi went to sleep, she'd never wake up again.  
  
"Stay with me! You can't...leave me..."  
  
Pan quickly stood up and picked up the frail woman. Her breathing became shallow as ChiChi's ki slowly drained away. With her last bit of strength, the older woman reached up and touched Pan's butterfly necklace, mouthing her last words.  
  
"I....love....you."  
  
Then she went limp.  
  
Pan's bottom lip quivered as she slowly shook her head. Several tears rolled down her face before she regained control. Trunks opened his eyes in shock the second he had felt ChiChi's ki disappear. He continued staring at his wife, almost wincing under the waves of raw emotion that were getting stronger and stronger.  
  
Pan slowly walked over to the window and opened it. She stepped on the ledge and took a deep breath before blasting off. Trunks sighed deeply and stood up, following her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Trunks and Pan were standing at The Memorial in silence. Trunks was staring at Pan, shocked at her reaction. He saw her reaction when Videl died, and he expected something similar, and was completely shocked when she did nothing but release a few tears.  
  
Pan was staring blankly at ChiChi's grave in turmoil. She knew she had Trunks, but that didn't take away the feeling of abandonment. She was honestly amazed at her own reaction, but for some reason she didn't feel anything except abandonment.  
  
Her eyes wandered from grave to grave, her face still expressionless, -Goku... Gohan... Videl... ChiChi... WHY'D YOU LEAVE ME?!-  
  
Her eyes narrowed in anger as she glared at the graves, -...Why'd it have to be my fault you're gone...?-  
  
Her last question replayed over and over in her head. She scowled, her ki rising, and suddenly blasted off into the air. She flew as fast as she could, not even paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly, she stopped and leaned forward, exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally. She floated down to the ground and collapsed to her knees. After blinking several times to clear her vision, which had begun clouding over, she finally blacked out and fell to the ground with a small thud.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hee hee, the next chapter is gonna be the last one! I know you're probably gonna miss it (yah, right), but this is my very first finished story. ^_^ PLEASE remember to review! 


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